Zim education slides back to chaos

BULAWAYO - Zimbabwe's education
system that had shown signs of recovery is quickly sliding back to chaos
because of a teachers' strike that has crippled learning at public schools
that reopened only six months ago after a new power-sharing government came
into office.

The most crucial and final term of the year began more than
two weeks ago but there has been very little or no learning taking place at
public schools after the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), the largest
of two unions representing teachers in the country, called a nationwide job
boycott by teachers to press the coalition government to hike
salaries.

The strike that began slowly when the new term began on
September 2 appeared to gather pace this week with, for example, nearly 90
percent of public schools visited by ZimOnline reporters in Bulawayo and
surrounding areas on Tuesday found with only a few senior teachers present
or no one at all to teach or supervise children.

Many schoolchildren
could be seen loitering at school grounds or nearby shopping centres in
scenes reminiscent of 2008 when learners were left on their own as teachers
went on strike or simply stayed at home because they could not afford bus
fare to work on their meagre salaries.

Education Minister David Coltart,
who has held several fruitless meetings with union leaders since the new
term began, told ZimOnline that there was little he could do to get teachers
back to classrooms, surrendering the task to the Ministry of Public Service
that employs all government workers.

"The issue of the strike is not with
me anymore," said Coltart, who also pointed out that the work boycott by
teachers had hit learning at most schools across the country.

ZIMTA
president Tendai Chikowore said: "The strike is still on . . . the majority
of our members are not reporting for duty in all provinces across the
country."

Chikowore, whose ZIMTA has about 40 000 members out of about 90
000 teachers at schools, said the union would meet next Friday to review the
strike.

Officials from the smaller Progressive Teacher's Union of
Zimbabwe (PTUZ) were not immediately available for comment on the matter.
The 20 000-member PTUZ has opposed the strike action although it is unclear
whether the union's members are actually reporting for work as directed by
their leaders.

Private schools that pay teachers more than public schools
are running normally across the country.

Zimbabwe's power-sharing
government between Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert
Mugabe has promised to revive the economy and restore basic services such as
health and education that had virtually collapsed after years of
recession.

But the failure by the administration- which says it requires
a total US$10 billion to get Zimbabwe back on its feet again - to convince
rich Western nations to release grants and soft loans has hampered its
ability to sustain the recovery effort.

The administration that since
its February formation had been paying all its workers a flat
US$100-allowance per month last July hiked payments to between $155 and $200
per month depending on grade. Teachers' salaries were raised to US$150, a
sum they say should be increased to about $500 per month.

Patrick
Moyo a teacher at a Bulawayo secondary school described his government
salary as a "waste of time".

Moyo said he was at school to teach students
preparing for their final public examinations at the end of the year but he
was asking each child to pay him 20 rands (about US$2.00) to attend
lessons.

He said: "If government will not pay us then the students will
have to pay for the lessons because we cannot toil for the whole month for
just US$150, it is waste of time." - ZimOnline

The shocking state of Zim schools

NATIONAL EDUCATION ADVISORY
BOARD

Chairman Dr Isaiah Sibanda

Press Release - 15 September
2009

The National Education Advisory Board, appointed in March this year,
released its "Report on the Rapid Assessment of Primary and Secondary
Education in Zimbabwe" yesterday at a Stakeholders Conference held at Prince
Edward School, Harare. The Assessment was funded by the European Commission,
represented at the launch by Ms Barbara Plinkert, Head of the Social Sector.
This was the first task requested by Minister David Coltart, in order to
have reliable data on which to base the work of reconstruction of the
education sector.

Among other findings in the sample 120 schools
throughout the country, over 20% of primary schools had not a single
textbook for English, Mathematics or African language - even for the
teacher! Large numbers of pupils in rural areas had no place to sit or
write. School buildings, teachers' houses, furniture etc were generally
dilapidated. Many schools had not been visited for years by Ministry
officials due to lack of resources. Examination results were generally poor,
teacher morale was low and the relationship between teachers and parents had
deteriorated.

The Conclusions were as follows:

"The Rapid
Assessment focused on a number of problem areas and challenges which require
immediate attention. Despite the limitations of a study done in such a short
space of time, it provided a snapshot of the situation and the immediate
steps needed to stabilize and improve the situation of education as a whole.
At the same time, it made clear that a more in-depth approach is needed in
the longer term. For example major inputs are required to improve the
condition and morale of teachers who will always remain key players within
the education system. These include repairing the damaged status of teachers
and the problematic relationship which has developed between parents and
teachers due to the fact that parents, including very poor parents, were
forced by circumstances to take over responsibility for teachers'
remuneration during the period when the State was unable to fulfill its
obligations in this regard. The staffing and resourcing of the MOESAC have
been seriously affected, and need both re-structuring and updating. The
shortage of resources for the education sector has to be seriously addressed
and stabilized primarily by the State, assisted by donors and parents. At
the same time, there has been major erosion of educational infrastructure
which needs to be addressed. The provision of teaching learning materials
has deteriorated to the extent that the industries servicing the education
sector are no longer able to do so optimally."

The Report includes a
number of recommendations on the way forward, divided into urgent
recommendations to Ministry not requiring additional expenditure and those
requiring additional funding, medium-term recommendations to Ministry and
recommendations to Partners.ENDS

Zimbabwe deal leads to few
changes for pupils

From The Associated Press, 15 September

By Angus Shaw

Highfield - Stinking
waste flows into the yard from the classroom toilets of B Block. Teachers
hold lessons in the shade of trees outside: Much of the schoolroom furniture
is piled into heaps of broken wood. Mutasa junior school was once the pride
of this teeming impoverished township in western Harare. Now signs in shaky
children's writing on the walls tell visitors: "No books, no learning; No
table and chair for teacher. Please help." A year after President Robert
Mugabe signed a power-sharing deal with former opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai, making him prime minister, the children at Mutasa school have
little to celebrate. "If my parents had money I could go to a better
school," writes one child in a poem on the bulletin board who signs himself
off as "Sad Boy." Another child says: "Our naked feet are full of blisters."
The United Nations children's fund estimates that an average of 10
Zimbabwean children share a single text book and some schools have no books
at all. Almost half of junior school children don't go on to senior school.
In one of the biggest donor programs in the past five years, UNICEF and
Western donors on Monday unveiled a $70 million program to get children back
into class. The program aims to provide a text book for every child in the
country's 5,300 junior schools and will target 700,000 absentee children
from the most impoverished and vulnerable communities.

Education
Minister David Coltart, a former opposition leader, estimates about $1
billion is needed to rebuild and re-equip schools across Zimbabwe. "As
shocking as it seems," he said, Mutasa school "is far better off than many."
Years of political and economic turmoil brought Zimbabwean education
services - once a model in the region - to a near standstill in 2008,
depriving millions of children of schooling. Hundreds of rural schools shut
down as teachers fled assaults and harassment after the disputed March 2008
presidential election that later led to the power-sharing agreement. Many
schools were vandalized and had doors, windows and even roofs stolen,
Coltart said. The upcoming rainy season is expected to disrupt teaching
outdoors. "We have lost a year. If we don't get adequate resources in a year
or two we will have lost a whole generation. This is the tragedy. Our
children should be our absolute priority," Coltart said. Since the coalition
government was formed in February after six months of bickering, teachers
have staged sporadic strikes over pay. "We don't have the money. The
government has a dearth of resources" fueled by international skepticism
over the implementation of the deal, Coltart said.

Joe Mbadzi, an
Highfield councilor for Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party,
said that parents of Mutasa school children also battled to raise money for
fees and top-up "incentives" for teachers. At least 100 pupils dropped out
this term. Mugabe blames Western sanctions for Zimbabwe's economic meltdown
and insists those measures have blocked national reconstruction. Western
nations argue that democratic, constitutional and media reforms promised in
the power-sharing agreement have not gone far enough for them to restore
traditional ties with the former British colony Mugabe led to independence
in 1980. "If we are to restore our once fine education system, we have to
work hard and as a matter of urgency to remove the skepticism," Coltart
said. A child's drawing pinned up at Mutasa school shows a teacher with a
down-curled mouth and lists payments for food, housing and commuter
transport far outstripping his monthly government salary of $150 - the
reason given officially for teacher absenteeism. "This is just but
unbearable," the grim-faced teacher in the child's drawing says.

Zanu
PF youth militia assault school teacher

This press release from the ‘Youth Alliance for Democracy’ highlights
typical Zanu PF endorsed violent behaviour courtesy of the youth militia. It is
alarming that this is continuing under the spotlight of the GPA. When will it
stop?

Press Release — Youth Alliance for Democracy is disturbed by the
beating of Duncan Mapasure, a teacher at Mtasa Primary School in Mtasa district,
Manicaland, by ZANU PF youth militias on Friday 11 September 2009. Sources from
the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) confirmed the incident citing
that Duncan was severely assaulted for failing to abide to the call by ZIMTA to
embark on strike action in which the ZANU PF backed union is calling for a
salary increment of at least US$540-00 per month.

Speaking on the phone with YAD Media and Communication Officer, Duncan
narrated his ordeal saying

‘I was attending classes on Thursday when they came in a white Mahindra and
demanded that all teachers should stop teaching and stay home until Tsvangirayi
removes sanctions. All teachers then left as the situation was tense. The
following day I went to school to give my pupils a test and it was while I was
invigilating that test that they came and pulled me outside the classroom and
took turns to beating me up accusing me of being a sellout and a puppet of the
West.’

Mr Mapasure sustained serious head injuries and broken right hand.

It is unimaginable that some youths are brainwashed to an extent of demanding
an end to schooling when pupils are eager to learn considering that this is the
last term of the year with life determining exams in a month.

The stance by the European delegation that, Zimbabwe needs to fully implement
the Global Political Agreement, restore the rule of law and respect human rights
first before travel restrictions can be lifted makes sense, considering the
continued human rights abuses in the country. On the other hand the position by
SADC is a mockery to the crisis in Zimbabwe as it only exposes the body’s
allegiance to President Mugabe.

We call upon the people of Zimbabwe to expose any forms of human rights
violations and harassment and resist being used for political expediency.

‘We demand our rights first before you can freely move around the globe’

This entry was posted by Sokwanele on
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Mugabe's remarks may fuel violence: Farmers

HARARE - The
Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU) on Tuesday said threats by President Robert
Mugabe to send police after white farmers who do not immediately vacate
their land when told to do so by the government could ignite more violence
against the beleaguered farmers.

Mugabe who was addressing a congress of
his ZANU PF party's youth wing at the weekend said whites should quickly
move off farms allocated to new black owners by the government, saying those
who did not would be forcibly driven off the farms by the police.

The
CFU said Mugabe's utterances would only help to fuel violence by mobs --
many of them members of ZANU PF -- that have continued invading farms across
the country despite formation of a power-sharing government that many
Zimbabweans had hoped would restore law and order on farms to help food
production.

"The speech to the ZANU PF youth may provide fuel for
further politically motivated violence and disturbances on commercial farms
at a time where peace and stability are required to ensure confidence and
increased agricultural production in the current summer cropping season,"
CFU president Deon Theron said in a statement on Tuesday.

Theron said
white farmers have complied with all regulations and requirements of the
government's lands ministry, adding that farmers on land targeted for
acquisition by the state have always applied for permission to continue
farming as provided for under the law but the government had never responded
to such applications.

"The CFU and its members have never disputed the
need for genuine land reform that truly empowers all the people of Zimbabwe,
irrespective of gender, race, belief or political affiliation and without
destabilising agricultural production," the CFU leader said.

There
was no immediate reaction to the CFU statement from Mugabe's
office.

Mugabe's chaotic and often violent land reforms that he says were
necessary to correct a colonial land ownership system that reserved the best
land for whites and banished blacks to poor soils, are blamed for plunging
Zimbabwe into food shortages after he failed to support black villagers
resettled on former white farms with inputs to maintain
production.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who formed a power-sharing
government with Mugabe following disputed elections last year, has called
for an audit to establish who owns which land in Zimbabwe before an orderly
land reform programme can be implemented but Mugabe has in the past accused
the MDC leader of wishing to return land to former white
owners.

Critics say Mugabe's cronies - and not ordinary peasants -
benefited the most from farm seizures with some of them ending up with as
many as six farms each against the government's stated one-man-one-farm
policy.

Government farm seizures, which started in 2000, have resulted in
the majority of the about 4 500 white farmers being forcibly ejected from
their properties without being paid compensation for the land, which Mugabe
says he will not pay because the land was stolen from blacks in the first
place.

The government has compensated some farmers for developments on
the land such as dams and farm buildings and says it is committed to
compensating all farmers for such improvements. But farmers say even these
payments are way below market rates. - ZimOnline

Chiwewe
to expose officials with 10 farms

MASVINGO - Former Masvingo provincial governor and
resident minister Willard Chiwewe has threatened to expose certain Zanu-PF
officials, who according to him, own up to 10 seized commercial farms each,
if he is forced to vacate a farm which he seized from a black
family.

Chiwewe refuses to vacate Ganyani Farm, a property which he
grabbed three years ago.

He argues that the move to boot him out of
the property is politically motivated, saying he is ready to name and shame
senior Zanu-PF officials involved in land-grabbing scams, some of whom have
now acquired up to 10 farms each.

Chiwewe says he is ready to do
battle with the state in court after the Masvingo provincial land committee
headed by the current governor Titus Maluleke ordered him to leave the farm
and pave way for the return of the Ganyani family.

"I am not going to
leave that farm because the move is political", said Chiwewe. "I am more
than prepared to name and shame senior Zanu-PF officials who own as many as
ten farms each and President Robert Mugabe is aware of this.

"If they
continue to apply pressure on me I am prepared for a fierce court battle
over this property."

However, Maluleke yesterday said the provincial land
committee would be left with no option but to seek the assistance of the
police to forcibly evict the former governor from the farm.

"If he
insists on occupying the farm then we have no option but to seek the
assistance of the police for him to leave", said Maluleke.

Chiwewe
who was the province's shortest serving governor since independence has
since been ordered to look for an alternative piece of land to graze his 70
herd of cattle after he was told to move out of Ganyani farm.

The
governor grabbed the farm from the Ganyani family arguing that it was
underutilised by them.

The former governor had originally taken over
nearly half of the 3000 hectare farm, leaving the remainder for the Ganyani
family.

Chiwewe had ventured into full time farming on the 1667,5 hectare
property after he was relieved of his position as governor of the province
last year.

Chiwewe developed an irrigation infrastructure, erected fuel
tanks and constructed a farm house but the land committee said that he
should be re- located elsewhere, nevertheless.

The land audit report
revealed that Chiwewe had used his political muscle to take over the
property and that he had ignored the pleas of the Ganyani
family.

This is not the first time that Chiwewe has been found on the
wrong side of government policy.

About three years ago soon after his
appointment Chiwewe was quizzed by the police for allegedly hoarding and
selling government sourced inputs on the black market.

He was let off
the hook after senior police officers blocked his prosecution and ordered
him to pay an admission of guilty fine instead.

Just last year Chiwewe
led a farm invasion in Chiredzi. He subsequently allocated the property to
his daughter.

More
attempts to take telecommunications ministry away from MDC

Information Communication Technology Minister
Nelson Chamisa has told Newsreel he is surprised at renewed attempts by ZANU
PF to usurp his control of the telecommunications sector. Last week Chamisa
instructed the state owned Tel One company to slash it tariffs by 50 percent
to make customers pay realistic charges. The state controlled broadcaster
ZBC initially ran the story, quoting Chamisa as giving the directive, but by
late afternoon instructions had been issued from ZANU PF to have Transport
Minister Nicholas Goche cited in the report as having given the
directive.

Chamisa told us he worked on the 'position paper' in June this
year and ran it through his cabinet colleagues for approval. After the
announcement of the directive this week he said he was surprised to hear his
work being attributed to someone else. He said initial attempts were made
through Webster Shamu, the Information and Publicity Minister, to take over
telecommunications from him, but now Transport Minister Nicholas Goche was
leading a new turf war against him. Chamisa says the new tug of war has
taken him by surprise, as he thought the matter had been
resolved.

Earlier this year in February, Chamisa clashed with Shamu after
the ZANU PF minister attempted to address a meeting of Tel One workers. The
young MDC minister was at the same meeting and confronted Shamu as to what
capacity he was using to address the meeting.

Chamisa admitted the
entire fiasco was designed to frustrate him and his party. Newsreel has been
told the matter will now be referred back again to the principals of the
unity government, that is Mugabe, Mutambara and Tsvangirai, to resolve. In
the MDC's complaint to SADC and the African Union, the dispute over the
functions of the ICT ministry remains an outstanding issue.

So what
will the MDC do? Chamisa says they have given themselves one month to
consult their supporters on whether to pull out or remain in the coalition
government. He conceded the consultation process made them look indecisive,
but added it was necessary to make the right decision and have the backing
of the people.

August
inflation slows on lower food prices

HARARE, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean inflation slowed to
0.4 percent month-on-month in August from 1.0 percent in July, figures
released by the Central Statistical Office showed on Wednesday.

The
southern African country had grappled with hyperinflation, prompting a unity
government formed in February by President Robert Mugabe and his rival Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to adopt the use of multiple currencies,
replacing the worthless local unit.

The CSO attributed the slowdown
in August inflation to the lower cost of food and non-alcoholic
beverages.

The agency, which temporarily halted the release of official
data when inflation reached 231 million percent in July 2008, currently does
not give year-on-year inflation statistics.

In July Finance Minister
Tendai Biti said the country was still experiencing inflationary pressures
from public utility and municipal tariffs, as well as low production levels,
which averaged 30 percent of total capacity. (Reporting by Cris Chinaka;
Editing by Chris Pizzey)

MDC
MP Pishai Muchauraya arrested

Pishai
Muchauraya, the MDC-T MP for Makoni South and Manicaland provincial
spokesperson, spent Tuesday night in police custody on charges of assaulting
someone inside a police station. The legislator was arrested when he went to
Mutare Central Police Station with his lawyer, Chris Ndlovu, after the
police issued a man-hunt for his arrest, in connection with an alleged
assault on August 14th.

Muchauraya appeared in court Wednesday and
was released on free bail by Magistrate Billard Musakwa. He is expected to
appear in court on 28th September for trial.

The legislator told SW
Radio Africa soon after his release that he is being victimized and that
some ZANU PF politicians and senior police officers in Mutare are trying to
silence him. He denies the charge and says the complainant, Precious
Zinyemba, stole US$12 500 from a friend of his.

He said: "We drove the
accused to the police station to make a report so that the police would
arrest this thief, but to our surprise the police did not arrest the thief."
The MP claims some of the officers connived with Zinyemba to share the money
she allegedly stole, which resulted in accusations that he assaulted her in
the presence of the police. He denies the charge.

The outspoken MDC
provincial spokesperson said the case has been heavily politicized and he
does not believe he will get a fair trial. A statement issued by the MDC
said two police officers have also been arrested for not arresting
Muchauraya on the day the crime was committed, and were both made to pay
fines.

Muchauraya added: "I doubt I will get a fair trial because right
now four police officers have been charged at Mutare police station for
refusing to make false testimonies. That is Detective Sergeant Mukwati,
Detective Chiwari and two others." The MDC said the arrest of the Makoni
South MP is a clear signal that there is a determination in some people in
the inclusive government to continue to frustrate and harass MDC MPs, senior
officials and MDC supporters.

Makoni
on trial for addressing meeting

BINDURA
(Radio VOP) - The trial of Mavambo-Kusile-Dawn (MKD) leader and losing
presidential candidate in the March 2008 presidential election, Simba
Makoni, was on Tuesday deferred to next month.Makoni faces charges of
allegedly addressing a political meeting without police authority during his
campaigns.

Makoni, who broke away from Zanu-PF early last year to
form a loose coalition of independent candidates, all of whom lost dismally
against Zanu-PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change factions, briefly
appeared before a Bindura magistrate but was advised to come back to court
on October 8.

Police re-opened his case in June at a time when Makoni
transformed his political project into a fully fledged political party. His
trial kicked off Tuesday in the mining town, 19 months after the alleged
offence.

"The court wants to look at the section of POSA he is being
charged under so the trial was deferred to 8 October, 2008," said Denford
Magora, the spokesman for the MKD leader.

During the trial, the
defence raised an objection that Makoni was being charged under sections of
POSA that no longer existed.

"The mess surrounding this case shows just
how ill-prepared the State is. They do not even know their own laws and are
seeking to persecute people under sections that do not exist," said
Magora.

Makoni now claims his trial was violating his freedom of speech,
assembly and movement.

Makoni is charged under the notorious Public
Order and Security Act (POSA), a piece of legislation human rights activists
claim is draconian and is allegedly being used by the state to persecute
perceived opponents.

Court papers at hand show that the charges against
him stemmed from a meeting attended by about 400 people and addressed by the
former Finance Minister on March 5 last year, in the run-up to the
controversial presidential elections.

The state has lined up two
Zanu- PF members and councillors Henry Magundani and Tendai Kuzvidza and
four police officers stationed at Glendale Police Station, namely Albert
Chifamba, Johane Chimbari, Oddington Chonze and Jacob Pedzai, to testify
against Makoni.

Emmanuel Muchenga, who has handled several cases
involving MDC officials and activists, including the party's deputy minister
for agriculture designate Roy Bennett in Mutare, will prosecute the matter
when the trial finally opens.

The state says Makoni organised the
public gathering without giving due notice to the police as required under a
certain clause in POSA.

He allegedly sent a team to advertise the
political gathering using a loud hailer and about 400 people responded and
gathered at Tsungubvi Bus Terminus in Glendale.

The state says
further that Makoni later arrived at the sceneand addressed the gathering
for about 10 minutes using the same loud-hailer.

The former executive
secretary of Southern African Development Community (SADC) officially
launched his long-awaited opposition party, Mavambo-Kusile-Dawn (MKD) in
July this year with promises of delivering real change to the
country.

In the controversial March 2008 election, in which he was
supported and endorsed by the Arthur Mutambara led smaller faction of the
MDC, Makoni polled slightly over eight percent of the vote while President
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai respectively garnered 43 percent
and 48 percent respectively of the votes cast.

Makoni's party has
since split with a rival group forming its own break-away faction, citing
allegations of corruption.

Moyo
calls MDC leaders "blithering idiots"

HARARE - Former Information
Minister and independent legislator for Tsholotsho North Jonathan Moyo has
branded the mainstream MDC politicians "blithering idiots" for claiming they
helped him secure his parliamentary seat during the March 2008
elections.

The MDC says it entered into a gentlemen's agreement with Moyo
by not fielding a candidate in that constituency.

The MDC says the
move was intended to deny archrival Zanu-PF what appeared to be an imminent
victory in a constituency where its (MDC)splinter faction led by Deputy
Prime Minster Arthur Mutambara was equally strong.

"Those who say
that are blithering idiots," Moyo told the Zimbabwe Times Monday when asked
to comment if recent press reports he hadapplied to rejoin Zanu PF were
true.

Moyo refused completely to discuss the subject, preferring to
concentrate on the claims by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai led
MDC.

"I never entered into any agreement with anyone. That's rubbish.
They took their own decision," Moyo said.

"They did not put a
candidate in Tsholotsho North, yes. But they went on not to put a candidate
in Tsholotsho South. Are they trying to saythey were also helping me by not
putting a candidate next door?

"Common sense says you must assist
yourself first before you can think of assisting any other
person.

"Who told them they have supporters in Tsholotsho? There is no
evidence at all that they had any votes in Tsholotsho.

"To explain my
point, Tsvangirai fielded candidates for a senatorial seat in Tsholotsho and
rural councils who all did dismally."

Moyo says by not fielding a
candidate in his constituency, the MDC actually denied him the pleasure of
registering a resounding victory.

"I actually wish they had put a
candidate in Tsholotsho North because the candidate for MDC-M who really
gave me a good run for my moneycame close to me after benefiting a lot from
the MDC-Tsvangirai's votes as there was no other MDC they could vote
for."

Moyo said the Tsvangirai led MDC would have suffered a huge
embarrassment of becoming last if it had fielded a candidate in
theconstituency.

Moyo refused
point-blank to discuss his reapplication to rejoin Zanu PF, a party he
departed from ignominiously after defying a leadership directive he should
not contest the same Tsholotsho seat in 2005.

"As a matter of principle,
I don't comment on what other people say," he said.

"I am no the one
who has said it. Call the Zimbabwe Independent (newspaper) and ask if it is
true.

"I will not dignify somebody's story. You journalists start
something and think we have a burden to explain it."

Zanu-PF chairman
John Nkomo confirmed on Thursday, September 10, that Moyo had submitted his
letter to the party's secretary for administration Didymus
Mutasa.

Moyo had been writing long articles in the state media in
which he viciously attacked both MDC parties and showered President Robert
Mugabe and Zanu-PF with praise.

"Yes, he wrote to VaMutasa three
weeks ago after Vice President Msika's funeral," Nkomo said.

He said
Moyo's application would then be presented to the Zanu-PF politburo, which
in turn would refer it to him as party chairman and head of the party's
disciplinary committee.

But even as Moyo refused to comment on his
application, the State-controlled Herald newspaper, which is privileged with
both government and Zanu-PF confidential information, reported that the
politburo would discuss Moyo's possible readmission at its next
meeting.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa described
Moyo as an "important asset" to the party.

"I do not think it is
necessary for the politburo to punish people like him. It (the politburo) is
not there to humiliate Cde Moyo," Mutasa said.

Mutasa said the politburo
should "show gratitude for the good work Prof Moyo did during his time in
Government and Zanu-PF".

Mutasa confirmed receipt of the letter from Moyo
seeking readmission into Zanu-PF adding that the author of the repressive
media law "did not quit Zanu-PF of his own volition".

During his term
as Information Minister, Moyo banned four newspapers which were viewed as
critical of President Robert Mugabe.

"I have got the letter," Mutasa
said. "I personally regard it highly. It is noble for him to have applied to
rejoin the party.

"A lot of things were happening that were not pleasing
to him. The fact that he has seen it good to re-apply and join the party
makes me very pleased.

"The resources of the party and its investment are
in the people. In Jonathan Moyo I find a very good and important investment
for the party," Mutasa said. "He is a very good information person. He
showed this during the time he was Minister of Information. I would not like
to lose people like him."

Moyo defended his recent newspaper articles
where he continues to criticise Tsvangirai and his MDC.

In his latest
article, Moyo claims the MDC leader was running a parallel government by
paying his workers in government higher salaries than the rest.

He
says he was "exercising my freedom of expression to hold to scrutiny "
someone who "lies" by claiming he is the head of government and yet refuses
to take responsibility for the failure of the same government's
programmes.

Moyo, who has also criticised Mutambara, says he would not do
the same to President Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe also claims he is the
head of government, among other titles that the State media now routinely
piles on him.

"I am exercising my freedom of expression," he said, "I
must not do what you want. I must do what I want and I am entitled to do
that. If that does not please you, too bad! That is what freedom of
expression is."

Moyo denied claims he had filed a court challenge against
MDC MP Lovemore Moyo's election as Speaker of the House of Assembly last
year on behalf of Zanu-PF.

"I am doing it on behalf of Zimbabweans,
who include both Zanu-PF and MDC. I am dong it in the interest of the rule
of law which you journalists and your MDC say you believe in. And that rule
of law does not discriminate between MDC or Zanu-PF.

"It is in the
interest of the rule of law that the conduct of the election of Speaker
which is a constitutional office is done in terms of the constitution, the
laws of Zimbabwe and the standing orders of Parliament.

"I have the right
to seek redress in a court of law. I never went to a militia or anybody else
to seek redress. I never beat up Mr Moyo. I simply went to a court of law
and paid money to my lawyer and I think only idiots would find something
wrong with that."

Asked if he would proceed to also challenge the
election of President Mugabe last year, which was even more controversial
and was condemned by the international community after over 200 supporters
of Tsvangirai's MDC were left dead.

"Why did you not challenge it
yourself because you are so eloquent about it?," Moyo said.

"Why
should I be the one who is carrying your burden? Am I your representative?
You are the ones who describe the election as having been flawed and mired
in controversy. I would respect you for challenging that in a court of law
in the same way I challenged Moyo's election.

"But it is not my duty to
go about challenging all elections as if I am a fool. I am not a fool."

Chinamasa criticised for attack on SADC tribunal

AFRICAN BAR ASSOCIATIONS
AND RULE OF LAW INSTITUTIONS ARUSHA COMMUNIQUE

THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
PREMIER REGIONAL BAR ASSOCIATIONS AND RULE OF LAW INSTITUTIONS ON THE
AFRICAN CONTINENT, GATHERED IN ARUSHA, TANZANIA ON 15 AND 16 SEPTEMBER 2009
TO AMONG OTHER THINGS REFLECT ON THE STATE OF THE RULE OF LAW IN AFRICA AND
THE CURRENT STATE OF REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL JUDICIAL ORGANS HAVE MADE AND
ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING COMMUNIQUE:

Reaffirming that the observance of
human rights, good governance and the Rule of Law are indispensible
requirements for the greater democratisation of the African
Continent;Mindful that these are dependent on the existence of independent,
impartial and effective institutions that deliver justice without fear or
favour;Acknowledging that in a significant number of African countries the
Rule of Law has entrenched itself and judicial institutions operate without
interference from any quarters;Wary that some African countries have
depicted a tendency to undermine judicial authority at both the domestic and
regional levels;

ON THE SADC TRIBUNALTHE REPRESENTATIVES OF REGIONAL
BAR ASSOCIATIONS AND RULE OF LAW INSTITUTIONS1. Observed with alarm the
current efforts of the government of Zimbabwe through the Minister of
Justice and Legal Affairs of Zimbabwe, Honourable Patrick Chinamasa, to
cause SADC to dismantle a sub-regional judicial organ - the SADC Tribunal -
on his perceptions relating to non-ratification and the implications
thereof.2. Are not convinced by the official reasons, which the Minister has
raised to justify his decision. They observed among others that:a. The
establishment of the SADC Tribunal needs no ratification.b. The Zimbabwean
Government nominated a judge to sit as a Member of the Tribunal. Other SADC
states have also nominated judges to constitute a full complement of
Tribunal judges.c. The Government of Zimbabwe has appeared before the
Tribunal in more than one case, and has at no time raised objections to its
legality and/or legitimacy.d. The Government of Zimbabwe is only
challenging the Tribunal as a result of it being referred to the SADC Heads
of State and Government to explain its non-compliance with binding decisions
of this sub-regional judicial organ.e. The failure of the Government of
Zimbabwe to comply with a court decision, whether of a domestic or
international tribunal, is consistent with its endemic culture of defiance
of court orders that it dislikes.f. In Zimbabwe the Government dismantled
the Supreme Court and the High Court when they were seen as issuing
decisions which the Government disliked through forcing out judges and
hiring "politically correct" individuals. Its current thrust to destroy the
SADC judicial organ is consistent with the Government's conduct in dealing
with judicial organs that it dislikes.3. There have been suggestions that
the SADC Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General will meet shortly to
decide the fate of the SADC Tribunal. Attention must be drawn to the fact
that the jurisdiction of the Ministers of Justice (as extensions of
executives) to consider this matter is irregular, as this potentially
amounts to an assault on the principle of separation of powers. It is an
established principle of international law that the Tribunal, as the
judicial organ itself - and not the executive organ constituted by ministers
- must be the ultimate judge of its own jurisdiction.

THE
REPRESENTATIVES OF REGIONAL BAR ASSOCIATIONS AND RULE OF LAW INSTITUTIONS
THEREFORE IMPLORE THE SADC AND THE AU TO

1. Encourage the government of
Zimbabwe to comply with the decisions of the SADC Tribunal rather than to
use disingenuous and convoluted legal arguments to destroy the Tribunal, in
an apparent quest to avoid submitting to the rule of law.2. Strengthen
and defend its institutions of justice when they make decisions, which are
within their competencies. Failure by the SADC and AU leadership to
vigorously defend regional and sub-regional judicial organs from such a
blatant assault is likely to have a contagion effect throughout the
continent which is so desperate for strong institutions of democracy and
rule of law to protect the rights of the people, assure investors of the
sanctity of contract and availability of credible enforcement mechanisms,
and generally promote socio-economic development on the continent.

ON
THE UNICTR ARCHIVES IN AFRICATHE REPRESENTATIVES OF REGIONAL BAR
ASSOCIATIONS AND RULE OF LAW INSTITUTIONS1. Observed that the
substantial archives in respect of the Rwanda Genocide are part and parcel
of Rwanda's and Africa's history and heritage. The AU and the UN are
therefore implored to work together to ensure that the UNICTR archives are
retained and stored in Africa, with appropriate levels of access for
citizens, researchers, scholars and others.ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FORUM
FOR AFRICAN REGIONAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATIONS (FARLA)The leadership of the
representatives of regional bar associations and rule of law institutions
welcomed the establishment of this forum and committed to continue working
together and deepen collaboration on strengthening of the rule of law in
Africa through this forum.Done and signed at Arusha, Tanzania, this 16th
September 2009.

Army
commander declares war on private radio stations

There are two main excuses that ZANU PF has been using as
reasons that the Global Political Agreement has not been fully implemented -
the issue of the 'sanctions' and the so-called 'pirate' radio stations
broadcasting into Zimbabwe. The regime's public criticism of 'pirate'
stations has become more vocal of late, and even senior army senior army
chiefs are accusing the stations such as SW Radio Africa and Studio 7 of
treason, through their "asymmetrical warfare".Lieutenant-General Phillip
Valerio Sibanda, the Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, told a study
seminar of army officers in Harare on Monday that foreign-based radio
stations are at 'war with Zimbabwe' and told the soldiers to remain on guard
against such things.He was addressing soldiers attending a five day seminar
on 'low intensity operations and asymmetric warfare' at 2 Infantry Brigade
Headquarters in Harare on Monday.Online blogger Denford Magora quotes
the army chief as saying: "Our country is undergoing asymmetric type of war
where all means are used to achieve set objectives by our detractors.
Zimbabweans must be aware and clearly understand that war is not only about
guns and bullets. Zimbabwe's detractors are using some NGOs and pirate radio
stations to spread false and hate messages that will lead to rioting,
despondency and eventually cause war."The Zimbabwe Times newspaper
reports Sibanda saying it was imperative for army officers to be on guard
and equip themselves with knowledge of different types of warfare that can
be waged against a country by its enemies. The general accused foreign
governments of funding this 'campaign' to reverse Mugabe's land reform
programme.Another army official, Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba,
said: "There are so many instruments which are used in asymmetric warfare
and we, as the Two Brigade, were tasked to equip our army officers with
knowledge so that they do not only protect the country with
guns."Journalist Angus Shaw said this is part of the new scenario where ZANU
PF is trying to find blame for the non-implementation of the GPA. He said
although Sibanda is generally considered a 'moderate man,' his latest
statements show that he is now parroting what people are saying within the
higher echelons of ZANU PF.

Observers say the regime's extreme
opposition to private radio stations shows that they understand how
important radio is for providing access to independent news and information
to all Zimbabweans. It also indicates they have no interest in freeing the
media and that the only media they want is one that they can completely
control, such as the ZBC and the Herald.

Shaw also said ordinary
Zimbabweans are hungry for proper information and are frustrated with the
subversion of the state media. The journalist said: "There is nothing but
hate speech on the ZANU PF controlled media and there is now a smoke and
mirror situation where just like the sanctions issue, they are trying to
find excuses about why they haven't moved forward with the constitution
commission, media reforms and democratic reforms in general, plus the
restoration of law and order."

Zimbabweans Blame Mugabe Over Unity Government Stalemate

Zimbabweans say President
Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party are to blame for the ongoing stalemate
in the country's coalition government.

They are accusing the embattled
leader of refusing to fully implement the Global Political Agreement which
led to the formation of the coalition government.

But President
Mugabe has said there are no sticking points in the agreement which threaten
to unravel the government's unity.

Rather he blames the international
community for imposing sanctions, which he claims hinder the functioning of
the government.

Glen Mpani, a Zimbabwean political analyst said that
President Mugabe is good at shifting blame.

"It is a statement that
does not reflect reality that is there between the three political parties.
Because if two of the principals are mentioning that there are outstanding
issues that need to be resolved, I don't think that it is his (Mugabe)
responsibility. to justify whether there are disagreements or not in the
agreement," said Mpani, a Zimbabwean political analyst.

He said the
sticking point of the agreement was dealt with during a regional
summit.

"It was in essence agreed that the inclusive government was
going to deal with the issue of the governor, the issue of the attorney
general and the issues of other appointments that were supposed to be taking
place," he said.

Mpani said there are indications that Mr. Mugabe is
not serious about the unity government.

"For him (Mugabe) to say that
there are no other sticking points, I think he is simply politicking. It
does not reflect the spirit of ensuring that they are working in an
inclusive government," Mpani said.

Embattled President Mugabe maintains
that he is working with the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) in a unity government to resolve the ongoing crisis.

But Mpani
said Mr. Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party have often undermined elections in the
country.

"We have an election where we did not get a conclusion in terms
of the will of the people of Zimbabwe," Mpani said.

He said Mugabe
often plays the victim by claiming the sanctions hinder the functioning of
the coalition government.

"One of the ways in which ZANU-PF has been able
to deal with sanctions is to construe them as having been imposed on them
because of the MDC. And I think we have to be careful not to allow the
propaganda that he (Mugabe ) has been associated with the issue of sanctions
to be perpetuated," he said.

Mpani said there is need to holistically
examine the usefulness of the sanctions.

"It is very important and
critical for Zimbabweans internally and externally to critically assess the
role of the sanctions. What have they done, what have been their impact, are
they assisting in unlocking the crisis in Zimbabwe?" Mpani asked.

He
said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has not done enough
to ensure Mugabe fully implement the agreement that led to the formation of
the unity government.

MDC
MPs Fed Up

MASVINGO- September 16, 2009- Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) legislators said on Tuesday they had lost faith in the six month old
but shaky Global Political Agreement (GPA) and are beginning to campaign for
fresh elections.

The GPA signed by MDC leaders Morgan
Tsvangirai and Authur Mutambara as well as ZANU PF's Robert Mugabe is under
threat due to disagreements in implementation.

The
provincial party spokesperson and Member of Parliament for Masvingo Urban
constituency ,who is also the chairman for Standing Rules and Orders
Committee (SROC), Tongai Matutu, told RadioVOP that they had resolved to
holding fresh campaigns after discovering that 'Mugabe is refusing to
consider their issues'.

"All MDC-T legislators from
Masvingo have met today in a caucus meeting and they agreed to start
campaigns from Mwenezi- the district which is popularly known for its dire
support for the once ruling party Zanu PF.

"We have nothing
to hide here; Mugabe is being notorious by refusing to consider our issues.
He has stretched our patients too far; we can not wait while he continues to
take us like his children. We are not interested in this game anymore," he
said. "Masvingo has lost faith in this animal called GPA, its better we
think for another way to fully liberate the people from Mugabe dictatorship.
We are preparing people for yet another election because there is no where
we can go with Mugabe blocking all developmental
initiatives."

"We are starting with Mwenezi tomorrow.
We shall talk to villagers in Mwenezi East and all MPs and party provincial
executive members will be talking to people. On Wednesday alone we shall
have at least nine rallies in Mwenezi. I will promise you that we are not
joking, this is a beginning of a new era," said Matutu.

Speaking on the issue of consulting the public on whether they still want
the inclusive government, Matutu said there was no doubt that the people of
Masvingo were 'exhausted'.

"What else can people do to show
that they are fed up. We are going to carry a survey but for sure the people
here are exhausted. Mugabe has let the whole deal down. We want to see
progress but if all the outstanding issues are not being addressed then why
should we try to solemnise this marriage. Masvingo is prepared to walk
out."

Meanwhile a Minister responsible for National
Healing under the Mutambara led MDC, Gibson Sibanda, said he had since
learnt that Zanu PF and Mugabe never honoured
agreements.

Speaking at a one-day workshop on national
reconciliation workshop held in Masvingo, Sibanda said: "PF ZAPU and ZANU
established a unity government after the violence that erupted in
Matebeleland, to be known as the Gukurahundi massacres. Many people lost
their lives, and I lost several relatives. The two parties merged to form
one party-ZANU PF. But Mugabe failed to honour the agreement, leading to the
swallowing of PF ZAPU."

"Then came the MDC, and again that
violence started. All this time there was violence, injury and loss of life.
Since 2000, all the elections were marred by bloodshed. And now Mugabe
appears as if he made a compromise, but again he is defaulting," said
Sibanda.

Zimbabwe Will Use Recent IMF Loan for Infrastructure

Zimbabwe Finance Minister Tendai Biti says the hundreds of
millions of dollars pledged by the International Monetary Fund earlier this
month will be used to rebuild the country's infrastructure.

Earlier
this month, Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono made a statement through the
partisan public media saying Zimbabwe had been awarded $500 million from the
International Monetary Fund.

The IMF said the money, in the form of
special drawing rights that have to be sold to turn it into cash, was
allocated to Zimbabwe and 185 other IMF countries in a one-time loan to help
them cope with the world recession.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti says he
is in close contact continuously with the IMF, and after consultations has
decided that as bilateral aid is not forthcoming, he will use the IMF money
to rebuild schools, hospitals, roads, railways and
communications.

Since becoming the unity government finance minister,
Biti has eliminated the Zimbabwe dollar and introduced U.S. dollars and the
South African rand to stabilize the economy.

In an interview in a
weekly newsletter published by the unity government's prime minister, Morgan
Tsvangirai, Biti hinted at tension between himself and Gono. In a clear
reference to the financial chaos of the previous ZANU-PF administration he
said Zimbabwe's era of what he called 'Zombie' economics were over, as was
the "era of of the state acting as the arena for personal
enrichment."

He described the previous administration as a "kleptocracy"
and said he would ensure the IMF's once-time award was used for the benefit
of the people as a whole and not individuals.

Gono, who has been
widely accused of usurping the finance ministry's powers before the
inclusive government was sworn into power in February, was responsible for
the printing of large amounts of money and triggering the record-breaking
inflation that crippled the economy last year.

In his interview Finance
Minister Biti painted a grim picture of the Zimbabwe economy, saying it has
a debt of $5 billion, of which the central bank debt is $1
billion.

He said the national debt, inherited by the inclusive
government, as a percentage of gross domestic product was more than 150
percent and that this debt was two-and-one-half times greater than the value
of Zimbabwe's total exports. He said Zimbabwe's indebtedness, including
current arrears, which he said were a result of previous economic
mismanagement, prevented Zimbabwe from accessing cheap loans from
institutions like the World Bank.

Western countries have said they will
only provide development aid when the year-old political agreement signed by
Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai is fully implemented.

Zimbabwe has
received more than a $1-billion in humanitarian aid since the economic
crisis began in earnest in 2000.

The IMF says another $10 million was
awarded to Zimbabwe, but is being held back until it clears $140 million in
current arrears to the fund.

Investors make tentative return to Zimbabwe

The imposing façade is freshly painted, the hardwood floors and panelling are
repaired and polished and the oil portraits of Cecil Rhodes, founder of colonial
Rhodesia, dusted off. The Bulawayo Club, preserve of the white elite in
pre-independence Zimbabwe, has become an unlikely beneficiary of the country’s
stuttering economic recovery.

Although foreign investors are still wary of Zimbabwe’s continuing political
uncertainty, local businesses, such as Amalinda Collection, the local tourist
group behind the club’s refurbishment, are starting to commit capital. Phil
Stead, managing director of Amalinda, says: “It is going to happen. If you have
a good product you can make money here.”

Zimbabwe’s
seven-month-old coalition government – in which Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and
Morgan Tsvan­girai’s Movement for Democratic Change are sharing power after a
disputed general election – may still be fractious, but entrepreneurs such as Mr
Stead are betting that the political settlement and currency stability –
achieved when the local dollar was replaced by the US dollar and South African
rand – have changed things fundamentally.

Amalinda, which also owns two safari lodges, negotiated a lease to manage the
114-year-old gentlemen’s club in Bulawayo this year and are planning to manage
it like a conventional hotel. Some $180,000 (€123,000, £109,000) has been
invested; more will follow.

“The bottom fell out of this [tourism] market in a heartbeat at the end of
the 1990s and it could recover just as quickly,” says Mr Stead. Recent weeks, he
says, have been encouraging, with adventurous US tourists, mining company
executives and European diplomats among those staying at the club.

The
Bulawayo Club (above) is an unlikely beneficiary of the country’s stuttering
recovery

Greater price stability and the opening of credit lines from South Africa are
also presenting opportunities in other sectors. In a small town near Harare, an
engineer, still too nervous to offer his name, recently returned with his family
from abroad to invest tens of thousands in a cross-border business supplying
imported merchandise.

“There is no way I would be back without these changes,” he says. “You know
that when you wake up your money will have the same value as it had the night
before. I know now I can go to the supermarket and buy milk and cereal for the
kids.”

The government is hoping this sense of opportunity will soon lure significant
foreign investment, helping to exploit economically pivotal reserves of gold,
platinum, chromium and diamonds. Both Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai were expected
to address an event billed as the country’s biggest mining conference in Harare
on Wednesday.

So far, though, investors themselves are cautious. At the Harare Stock
Exchange, which reopened seven months ago, share prices have moved sideways,
with as many investors choosing to realise gains as to take fresh positions.

In the real economy, foreign businessmen are still concerned about
restrictions and legal confusion. Vaguely worded indigenisation laws mean that
foreign investors must cede a controlling stake to black empowerment groups.
Change has been promised, with new mining legislation apparently under
consideration. But for the moment groups such as South Africa’s Impala Platinum, already the biggest investor in
Zimbabwean mining, are leaving multi-million-dollar investment plans on
hold.

In spite of dollarisation, exchange controls remain on the statute book and
Gideon Gono, the Zanu-PF politician who presided over the monetary chaos that
led to Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation, is still governor of the central bank. A
long-awai­ted investment treaty with South Africa has still to be approved.

The occupations of commercial farms owned by white farmers – which have
continued since Mr Tsvangirai was inaugurated as prime minister in February – do
not help business confidence. And as Sean Gammon of Imara, a pan-African
financial group, puts it: “There is still unease about the politics generally
and how sustainable all this is.”

Zimbabwe finmin
says blocked possible IMF aid abuse

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti
said on Wednesday he had blocked possible "unprocedural use" of IMF aid
allocated to the country under a global assistance agreement for member
states hit by a global crisis.

Biti dismissed as "rubbish" reports in
state media that he had written to the International Monetary Fund
effectively rejecting over $500 million in IMF special drawing rights
extended to Zimbabwe because Harare has external debts of about $5.7
billion.

"That is rubbish. I did not block (the aid)," he told a news
conference he called to address what he termed unjustified excitement over
the IMF allocation.

"What I blocked are efforts to unprocedurally
convert and to liquidate the SDRs into cash," Biti charged. But he refused
to name the culprits.

Biti, a senior figure of the Movement for
Democratic Change opposed to President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, has
been fighting a bitter turf war with the president's allies, especially
central bank Governor Gideon Gono, since the MDC joined ZANU-PF in a
power-sharing government in February.

The IMF said on September 4 that it
had transferred around $400 million in IMF special drawing rights to
Zimbabwe under a $250 billion agreement to bolster the reserves of the
fund's 186 member countries.

The fund said however it would withhold
another $102 million of Zimbabwe's allocation by placing it in escrow until
the country had cleared its $140 million IMF debt.

Biti said on
Wednesday it was common knowledge that Zimbabwe was broke and had no foreign
reserves, and that the economy was struggling to get off the ground after a
decade in crisis.

"This is the net position of Zimbabwe ... and so we
have to use any money that we get very carefully, under a proper fiscal
plan," he said.

Biti said he was recommending that the government uses
the IMF allocation mainly to rehabilitate Zimbabwe's dilapidated
infrastructure, including roads, water resources, phone and electricity
network.

Zimbabwe has suffered a decade of economic meltdown, worsened by
the withdrawal of Western funding over policy differences with Mugabe's
previous administration, before he formed the unity government with rival
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister.

HARARE, Sept 16
(Reuters) - Zimbabwe expects to harvest 2.5 million tonnes of maize in
2009/2010 compared with 1.2 million tonnes in the previous season, Finance
Minister Tendai Biti said on Wednesday.

Once a regional supplier of
grain, Zimbabwe has failed to feed itself since 2001, relying on imports and
donor handouts.

"I see no reason why, with the better preparations we are
having, we cannot have a bumper harvest of 2.5 million tonnes," Biti told a
mining conference in Harare.

Zimbabwe is holding the conference as
part of efforts by a new power-sharing government to attract investment in
the southern African nation.

Analysts said it was unlikely that Zimbabwe
would be able to more than double its maize output next year because of lack
of funds for inputs such as fertilisers.

"It is a very ambitious
project to try and raise maize production to that level simply because the
infrastructure does not support that and I doubt they have enough money to
spend on fertilisers and seed," a Johannesburg grain trader, who declined to
be named, said.

Another trader said the country's farmers would be unable
to increase output without more government and donor support.

Biti
said in July the government would provide $142 million this year to help
small farmers buy resources needed to boost food production and help reverse
years of decline in farming.

Industry experts say production of all major
crops -- including maize, wheat and tobacco -- has declined by more than 50
percent since 2001.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) and World Food Programme said in June about 2.8 million people in
Zimbabwe will face food shortages in the coming year and will require some
228,000 tonnes of food assistance, including 190,000 of cereals.

The
decline of the country's farm sector is blamed on the often violent seizures
of white-owned commercial farms in 2000, which President Robert Mugabe has
defended as necessary to correct colonial-era imbalances in land ownership.
(Additional reporting by Shapi Shacinda in Johannesburg, editing by Anthony
Barker)

HARARE, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe
urged foreign mining companies to invest in the southern African country and
sought on Wednesday to allay fears that such businesses could be
expropriated.

Mugabe told a mining conference in Harare that the
government would soon pass a new law to govern the sector, which would
address concerns raised by an earlier draft that had said foreign mining
companies could not hold more than 49 percent of a business and had to sell
any stake above that to Zimbabweans.

Following the collapse of
commercial agriculture, mining has become the top foreign currency earner,
with gold alone bringing in a third of total export earnings to a country
that says it is unlikely to receive bilateral assistance soon.
[ID:nLG224373]

Mugabe, trying to woo badly needed foreign investment,
said the law would seek a balance between attracting investors and
empowerment of Zimbabweans - a key concern for his government.

Poor
power supply to mines was also a big concern to existing and potential
investors [ID:nWEA1244]

Mugabe said the proposed mining law would be
debated in the next session of parliament, which starts later this
month.

"The review of the Mines and Minerals Act will seek to strengthen
the relationship between the government and mining houses," he said in a
speech. "It also seeks to ensure that Zimbabweans benefit from their natural
resources through the creation of an enabling framework."

The mining
conference is part of efforts by a new power-sharing government to attract
investment in Zimbabwe, which has the world's second-biggest platinum
reserves after South Africa and large deposits of diamonds, coal and
nickel.

"The government is committed to ensuring that the policy
environment is stable, predictable and sufficiently attractive to guarantee
investors good returns," Mugabe said.

Victor Gapare, the president of
Zimbabwe's Chamber of Mines said Mugabe had reiterated to a handful of
concerned investors in a private meeting the country would not expropriate
mines.

The previous mining draft law raised fears of a repeat of the
violent seizures of white-owned commercial farms in 2000, which Mugabe
defended as necessary to correct colonial land imbalances but which critics
blame for acute food shortages.

INVESTORS FACE
UNCERTAINTY

Participants at the conference said uncertainty over policies
would continue holding back big new mining investment.

Niels
Kristensen, head of Rio Tinto's (RIO.L)(RIO.AX) diamond unit in Zimbabwe
said at the conference although he was encouraged by the country's aim to
improve its mining sector, more must be done to resolve uncertainty and
attract new cash.

"Until we see some certainty, there won't be
significant investment in mining," he said. [ID:nWEA1231]

But some
new cash was trickling into the mining sector.

Elton Mangoma, Zimbabwe's
economic planning minister, said the country had approved 15 mining projects
worth $400 million since February this year, and some were already being
developed.

Zimbabwe, which has had no meaningful exploration for the last
decade, said it would set up a company to explore minerals in areas seen as
high risk by private mining firms.[ID:nWEA1215]

President Mugabe calls
for investment in Zimbabwe

Associated Press

Sep 16, 12:23 PM EDT

By ANGUS SHAWAssociated Press
Writer

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- President Robert
Mugabe told businessmen Wednesday that their potential investments in
Zimbabwe would be safe, while the finance minister announced the country is
$5.7 billion in debt.

Mugabe, opening a two-day meeting on investment in
the once vibrant mining industry, said that Zimbabwe's unity government has
made "satisfactory progress" in creating a conducive environment for
investment.

"The sanctity of property rights and the rule of law in all
its dimensions are fully respected," Mugabe said.

Zimbabwe's economic
meltdown began after Mugabe ordered the seizures of thousands of white-owned
commercial farms in 2000, disrupting the agriculture-based economy in the
former regional breadbasket.

His critics point to continuing human rights
violations, land seizures and laws requiring a majority local stake in
foreign firms.

Mugabe has demanded that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai,
the former opposition leader, do more to get the sanctions lifted and
restore foreign aid and investment.

But the European Union and other
Western nations say the coalition, formed in February, has not done enough
to restore the rule of law and begin democratic reform, blaming Mugabe and
high-level loyalists for resisting change.

"We hunt for money. Our situation is very rudimentary," he
said. "We are unable to liquidate our debt."

Biti, a former
opposition official, said he would announce a national budget review in
November in which support by the International Monetary Fund would bolster
efforts to kick start Zimbabwe's crippled economy.

The IMF released $500
million earlier this month in a sign of acceptance for the southern African
nation's new coalition. The money would be used for reconstruction of roads
and water and energy supply and provide lines of credit for
exporters.

But he warned that the IMF was not "a Father Christmas" and
that the use of the funds would comply with international law and proper
fiscal discipline.

"There won't be anything that is consumptive and
short-term," he said.

Long while
before bilateral aid: Zimbabwe Finance Minister

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's
Finance Minister Tendai Biti said on Wednesday it would be a "long while"
before the country, struggling to pull itself out of an economic crisis,
received bilateral assistance.

Biti also told a mining conference
Zimbabwe could not return to using the local dollar -- abandoned at the
start of the year after hyperinflation rendered it worthless -- until the
economy could support the currency.

Zimbabwe says it needs $10 billion in
foreign aid to rebuild the country, grappling with a dilapidated
infrastructure, hyperinflation and unemployment of over 90
percent.

But Western nations who suspended aid over policy differences
with veteran President Robert Mugabe are reluctant to release cash without
further political and economic reform under a unity government he formed
with rival Morgan Tsvangirai, now Prime Minister.

"It's going to be a
long while before bilateral assistance comes to Zimbabwe ... so we are
having to look at foreign direct investment," said Biti, a minister from
Tsvangirai's MDC party.

Harare adopted the use of multiple currencies,
mainly the U.S. dollar and the rand, to try and rein in
inflation.

"We cannot return to the Zimbabwe dollar ... unless we have an
economy that supports the currency. Most of our friends (donors) are
sulking, so we have to come up with our own local initiatives. We are on our
own," Biti said on Wednesday.

Earlier this month the IMF said it had
transferred around $400 million in special drawing rights to Zimbabwe under
a $250 billion global agreement to bolster the reserves of its 186 member
countries in the wake of the worldwide financial crisis.

The IMF
said, however, it would withhold another $102 million of Zimbabwe's
allocation by placing it in escrow until the country had cleared its $140
million IMF debt.

On Wednesday Biti said the government would
introduce a new income tax in November which would see the application of a
"transparent and flat" tax system. Biti gave no further detail.

Zimbabwe Labor Officials Attend Convention of American
Confederation

Representatives of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Tuesday attending the 26th
constitutional convention of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of
Industrial Organizations, better known as the AFL-CIO.

ZCTU President
Lovemore Matombo and Secretary General Wellington Chibebe were invited by
the trade union federation to attend the convention, during which AFL-CIO
President John J. Sweeney was to hand off to successor Richard Trumka, a
third-generation coal miner.

Chibebe told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that workers in his country could learn much
from the relationship between the U.S. government and
labor.

President Barack Obama addressed the convention Tuesday, telling
delegates that America's success has been based on its middle class, which
opened opportunity to others.

"And the fundamental test of this
century, of our time, is whether we will heed this lesson, whether we will
let America become a nation of the very rich and the very poor of the haves
and the have-nots, or whether we will remain true to the promise of this
country and build a future where the success of all of us is built on the
success of each of us," he said.

"That's the future I want to build,"
Obama told the labor convention. "That's the future the AFL-CIO wants to
build. That's the future the American people want to build. That's the
future that I've been working to build from the moment I took
office."

President Obama also seized the occasion to drum up support for
the health care reform legislation he hopes to see voted into law by the
House and Senate later this year.

"We have talked this issue to
death, year after year, decade after decade," Mr. Obama said. That's why I
said the time for bickering is over, the time for games has passed, now is
the time deliver on health care reform."

Tsvangirai's address to the Zim Employers' Confederation

Address by the
Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, the Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai, to the
Employers' Confederation of Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, 16th September
2009

Honourable Ministers Here Present,

The President of
Emcoz, Mr. D Govere,

Business and Industrial Leaders

Invited
Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Thank you for the opportunity to
address you today, as you consider how - as employers - you can support the
process of Economic Recovery in Zimbabwe.

All of us here today must
work together to reshape our economic destiny to meet the needs of our
people through establishing an environment that encourages sustained
economic growth and development.

If we are to ensure
sustained recovery in the shortest possible time, every sector in our
economy must unite to drive the process of recovery together with
Government.

Ladies and Gentlemen, yesterday marked the one-year
anniversary of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which saw the formation
of the current inclusive Government in an attempt to soft-land the country's
dire political and economic crisis.

There is no doubt in my mind
that, despite the unpalatable compromises the various signatories to the
agreement had to make, it was the right move for the country, such was the
situation at the time.

The key issue to consider is how we can best
reshape our economic destiny to allow Government to meet the needs of our
people through establishing an environment that encourages sustained
economic growth and development.

If we are to ensure
sustained recovery in the shortest possible time, we will have to seek out
and implement innovative approaches to sourcing the capital requirements
needed for such a recovery.

Zimbabwe's economic stability requires
access to foreign markets, finance, technologies, skills and ideas, which
are only made possible by all the key stakeholders working together as
partners committed to our nation's development.

The year 2008,
was the low-water mark in the history of Zimbabwe. We all saw what chronic
mismanagement, combined with systemic kleptocracy, could do to a once proud
and vibrant country.

Over a period of many years, the hard work,
commitment and honesty of the many was slowly betrayed, undone, and stolen
by the few.

As Zimbabweans, we had started to lose pride in our
country. The legacy of those that fought, and died to secure our
independence was in jeopardy and more names were being added to the roll of
honour of those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for a democratic
country.

Today, we have managed to restore a modicum of
sanity to our country's economy as well as beginning the process of
restoring basic services and getting our schools and hospitals operating
again.

However, progress towards real change has not been as fast or
comprehensive as the people demand or deserve and does not yet reflect an
adequate return on the hope invested by the people of this
country.

Seven months since the formation of this new Government,
there can be no excuse for the continued failure to implement in full, all
the articles of the GPA. This deliberate attempt to frustrate the process of
change and the rebuilding of our nation, is now affecting all aspects of our
society - an aspect that you as employers are only too well aware
of.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we cannot let ourselves be diverted from
our quest to drive the process of positive change within
Zimbabwe.

Let me assure you that I am fully committed to the
rebuilding of this great nation. We have entered an irreversible process of
change, albeit a difficult one.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us be
frank about the scale of the task still ahead of us, as we seek to rebuild a
country in which we can all rightly be proud..

We have an economy
which, though now stable, is a shadow of what it once was.

We
have an infrastructure which has crumbled due to years of looting and
underinvestment.

We have farms lying idle due to a corrupt and
inept land redistribution program.

We have lost many of our most
qualified and educated citizens, who have left the country in
despair.

Perhaps most dangerously, we still have a few people
clinging desperately to a system in which they perverted the rule of law,
basic freedoms, and even the institutions of the state to serve their own,
selfish and divisive goals.

But the process of change has
started, and it is irreversible.

Slowly but surely, we are
dismantling the systems of privilege, entitlement and impunity which
sheltered and protected the systematic looting of this
country.

Slowly but surely, we are rebuilding the solid economic
foundations, on which we can build our future livelihoods.

Slowly
but surely, we are rebuilding the basic services and the basic
infrastructure which will serve our people, and allow them to be proud and
productive.

Slowly but surely, we are rebuilding the rule of law
and respect for property rights, without which business cannot
function.

This is a process which will take some time. There have
been many frustrations to date and more to come. But we will not let them
distract or deter us from the mandate we have from the people to effect real
change in their lives.

In this, I pledge to you:

as
businessmen, and businesswomen;

as employers and investors;

and
indeed as parents;

that we will secure the changes in Zimbabwe which we
need to give all our citizens the opportunities they
deserve.

Those opportunities will be shared by the many, not the
few.

The State will not use its powers to interfere within the
boardrooms of commerce and industry and where this has happened in the past,
the situation will be rectified.

The rapid and effective
economic stabilisation which we achieved earlier this year will now be
followed by a period of economic consolidation, reform, and
investment.

My fellow Ministers and I invite you to share with us
your views on how best we can achieve this. We certainly do not believe that
we have all the answers.

What is clear is that a culture of
cooperation and consensus has begun to take hold within Government, between
Government and business and between Government and the people. This culture
is replacing the previous attitude of impunity and entitlement that drove
the country to the brink of total collapse.

The GPA commits
Government to establish a National Economic Council so that key stakeholders
can act as advisors to Government and we can work as partners in rebuilding
our nation.

I ask you as employers to partner with us on
rebuilding this country. In turn, I will continue to tackle both the
mismanagement and the corruption which has come to characterise government
in Zimbabwe. This is a fight that must be fought and won, but that cannot be
won by Government alone.

In this fight to end the cancer of
corruption you too have a vital role to play be refraining from encouraging
corrupt practices and instead reporting them to my office. In my Government,
there will be zero tolerance for corruption or practices that promote
corruption.

Real change is also required in the way business is
conducted. For too long, too many businesses have been forced to rely on
patronage to survive. My Government is committed to establishing an
environment determined by strong market principals that encourages both
independence and innovation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am encouraged by
the fact that EMOCOZ has chosen the theme "Decent Work for Economic
Development" for your congress this year.

Promoted by the
International Labour Organisation, Decent Work sums up the aspirations of
people for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in
the workplace and social protection for families; better prospects for
personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express
their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their
lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and
men.

As a former Trade Unionist, and also as one who understands the
need for a market-driven business environment, I applaud you for promoting
the rights of the workers. A contented workforce is a productive
workforce.

Thus, with my assurance of the continued pursuit of
stability, real change for the people of Zimbabwe and the support of this
Government for business growth, it is my pleasure to formally open the EMCOZ
Congress 2009.

Zimbabwe Christian leaders (UK) to facilitate Role of
Diaspora In ZIM Transitional Process

Press Release­­

London, 10 September, 2009,
-Zimbabwean Christian and Lay Leaders in the UK are meeting in London on the
Ist of October 2009 to facilitate how migrants in the Diaspora can best
contribute towards their country's socio-economic and political
development.

This inaugural conference entitled, 'Locating The Role of
The Diaspora in Zimbabwe's transitional process', is being organised by the
Council of Zimbabwean Christian Leaders Uk (CZCL UK).

The conference
comes at a time when Zimbabwe experiences a political test during which many
in the Diaspora have been reduced to mere commentators and Cynics of the
current goings on.

CZCL UK is convening this consultation to create a
credible yet effective platform that will steer significant involvement of
Zimbabwean Christians in the UK who are currently leaders or studying to be
the same in different sectors of life. This platform will serve as a bridge
and overcome obstacles posed by class, gender, color, ethnic orientation or
political affiliation in this exercise.

The conference is a
significant step in providing an apolitical yet morally credible movement of
Zimbabweans living abroad in fostering intelligent yet constructive debate,
engagement and discourse that will give a definite voice to those in the
Diaspora.

One of the Key issues to be discussed during the
conference is how best to involve the Diaspora in the current constitutional
reform process. The UK hosts the second largest Zimbabwean population
outside Zimbabwe and it is important to find ways of involving this
constituency in such an important exercise.

CZCL is therefore
inviting to this conference skilled professionals, students who have since
migrated to the UK, Churches, Community Leaders, Academics, Aid
organizations and institutions as well as individuals who are working on
issues related to Zimbabwe or the
Diaspora.

There
Will Be No Rest Until Zimbabweans Have Peace - Tsvangirai

Harare,
September 16, 2009 - Zimbabwe's Prime Minister and Movement for Democratic
Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he will not rest until Zimbabweans have
peace and freedom.

A statement posted on his website on
Wednesday to mark one year anniversary of the signing of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) quoted Tsvangirai saying: "We want people to live
peacefully. We want them to have more freedoms. We want prosperity among our
people. We want them to restart their lives and improve their lives and we
will not rest until this is achieved.""The GPA is not just a piece
of paper," he said. "The people of Zimbabwe must actually own the agreement.
They must understand how that agreement impacts on their lives. It's not
just a leadership issue. It is for the people. It must be owned by
Zimbabweans.""We have reduced tension across the political divide.
There was a sense of hope to the people when we opened schools and hospitals
that had closed down. We have started attracting international investment to
the country and creating more business opportunities. The confidence of our
business community has grown. Generally, it is more of a situation where we
provided hope where there was despair."Tsvangirai said the ride
has not been easy, saying: "But it would appear our opponents or our
colleagues who are in ZANU PF, have not embarked on a paradigm shift. You
still have the emphasis of apportioning blame on the MDC (Movement for
Democratic Change). There is emphasis of apportioning success on ZANU PF by
the State media. The hate language in the State media is incessant. I will
give you an example of today's (Tuesday) Herald. It has five negative
articles on MDC and you would think that we are running a parallel
government.""The Public Service Commission has not demonstrated the
new dispensation. Some of my staff has not been appointed. My security
details have not been incorporated or integrated into the structure of the
Government although they will continue working. The constitutional process
seems to be struggling to take off. The National Healing programme seems to
be up there and not having an impact on the people. So while we have
committed from our side of the bargain, I think ZANU PF is far from
that."Mugabe is due to give progress of the GPA at a rare briefing
with editors from both state-owned and private press at State House on
Thursday.Mugabe has blamed MDC for failing to persuade the West to end
its sanctions on Zimbabwe, which he said, are the main cause of Zimbabwe's
current economic and political suffering.The GPA was brokered by
the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) through Thabo Mbeki, the
former South African president and was signed on September 15,
2008.However progress has been slowed down due to disagreements in the
implementation of the agreement. Most western countries have refused to
fully committ themselves financially to the inclusive government, demanding
first an improvement in the implementation of the GPA and an end to human
rights abuses.